Our View: In honor of those who serve

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, took care Tuesday to remember four Louisiana veterans – two World War II veterans, a veteran of the War on Terror and a National Guardsman – on the floor of the Senate. Cassidy’s remarks were appropriate, timely and heartfelt.

His words were delivered in preparation for Veterans Day, and the Louisianians that Cassidy honored – Lucius Forsyth, Robert “Emmett” Stanley, Chris Anderson and Michael Eby – have different stories to tell. But all of those stories end the same way, with veterans who served their country and protected its freedom honorably.

Forsyth, a Navy seaman on the U.S. Saratoga, served seven stories below deck on Feb. 21, 1945 near the ship’s ammunition stockpiles when it was attacked relentlessly by bombs and kamikases, suicide pilots in the Pacific Theater. Although 125 Saratoga sailors died that day, Forsyth kept to his task and helped the ship weather the attacks.

Stanley, a seaman first class, didn’t fare as well on May 4, 1945. He was serving on the U.S. Luce when kamikaze pilots struck. Shrapnel tore his scalp before he heard “abandon ship.” While in the water, an explosion forced shrapnel into his stomach. His wounds still cause him pain.

Cassidy took time to mention two of his own staff members: Chris Anderson, whose duties included clearing ordnance in Afghanistan, and Michael Eby, who served in the National Guard. The former advocates for Veterans Administration reform nowadays; the latter has been honored with the National Defense Medal and the Louisiana War Cross.

Theirs are four of the millions of stories of American men and women who have defended American freedom. On Veterans Day, Americans have the opportunity to hear their stories, ponder their sacrifices and thank them for what they have accomplished.

Veterans Day was initiated to honor World War I’s war dead and to offer thanks for the war’s victory. Nov. 11 – WWI ended at 11 o’clock on the 11th day of the 11th month – served its purpose well until a still more costly war, World War II – ended in Allied victory. President Eisenhower recognized that Armistice Day should honor all veterans and made it happen in 1954, transforming Armistice Day into Veterans Day.

“The United States military is the strongest, most capable fighting force the world has ever known,” President Barack Obama said in his proclamation for Veterans Day. “The brave men and women of our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard demonstrate a resolute spirit and unmatched selflessness, and their service reminds us there are few things more American than giving of ourselves to make a difference in the lives of others.”